Water in your fuel? Easy to fix...

GoldenMotor.com

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
If water contamination is enough of a problem, you could use a sediment bowl filter as it also traps water;



...but as it is a touch cumbersome and a "vintage look" may not be for you, this is a very simple yet effective water trap commonly found on ultralight aircraft, made from nothing more than clear fuel line, a T fitting & one additional petcock;



As water is heavier than gasoline, it will collect below the T fitting to be drained when necessary. Clear fuel line allows you to see the accumulation & you can make it a loop instead of a U shape where the T fitting is or other assorted variations, depending on your build's needs (the U was simpler to photoshop & easier to illustrate is all lol) but remember in order for it to work properly it has to be the lowest point in the fuel system & the longer you make the water collection tube the better as you'll not need to drain as frequently.

I used a similar design on my ultralight and never had any water in my float bowls ;)
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Make it a pre-flight step. Drain into a clear container and inspect for water. I wonder how many gallons of good av gas I've dumped out doing that over the years. :)
Tom